A Legacy of Flavor and Family at Mercat de Sant Antoni
My first visit to Pinotxo Bar—should I call it the original location? I’m not sure. Let’s just say the former location—was back when the bar was still inside Mercat de la Boqueria. Featured in almost every book about Barcelona and listed on every must-visit food guide, Pinotxo Bar had been on my list for years. This time, I was determined to sit and enjoy it properly. I would wait as long as it took.
Xipirons amb mongetes, Juanito (Joan Bayen) and Aziz Hatman, 12 April 2022
My first visit to Pinotxo Bar—should I call it the original location? I’m not sure. Let’s just say the former location—was back when the bar was still inside Mercat de la Boqueria. Featured in almost every book about Barcelona and listed on every must-visit food guide, Pinotxo Bar had been on my list for years. This time, I was determined to sit and enjoy it properly. I would wait as long as it took.
We arrived around noon, just before the real crowd hit. Of course, every bar stool was taken. No surprise there. My wife, my son, and I—three of us—stood a few meters away, waiting for our turn.
I tried to make eye contact with Juanito. He was quite old but moved like a lightning bolt. He never stood still. Reaching across the counter, he cleared empty plates, placed steaming dishes in front of customers, handed out napkins, forks, and knives. He took orders. He posed for photos with guests.
Almost exactly a year after our visit—on April 11, 2023—Juanito, the founder of Pinotxo Bar, passed away.
He was 88 years old.
I was in my fifties at the time… What does an eighty-year-old think about?
My father was thinking about writing another book. Not his last book, just another one. I looked into Juanito’s eyes. We locked our eyes. He would find us a place, I just had to trust him. “In a little while,” he said. Or at least, that’s what I understood. He had spoken, and I had understood.
Red prawns and Maria in Pinotxo Bar in The Boqueria market
Juanito cared about his customers. His friends. Another guest to be welcomed.
A person says a lot when they smile, don’t they? More than they ever could in words. His broad, sincere smile carried layers of success, happiness, and satisfaction—but no doubt, it also held pains, grilled à la plancha, over the years.
Soon, he pointed to some bar stools that were about to free up. We quickly moved behind them. Three of us squeezed into a space meant for two. No hesitation—I immediately ordered Cigrons (chickpeas) and Xipirons amb mongetes (baby squid with beans).
Cigrons of Pinoxto with black sausages, Mercat de Sant Antoni
Even before sitting down, I had placed the order. Juanito called over his niece, Jordi Assín’s wife, to write it down. He was still looking directly at me. We understood each other.
A customer who knows what they want, savors it, appreciates quality, and shows their enjoyment—of course, that made him happy. Otherwise, how else do you build a legacy like this?
As Jordi Tubella wrote in El Nacional:
His story is that of La Boqueria. When he was just 7 years old, he joined the family business—a modest restaurant run by his mother, Catalina, and his sister Maria—on the other corner of the market from La Garduña, which was known for the best veal stews. After school, Juanito would help them, handing out lattes and sandwiches to the market stalls. A few years later, he was behind the bar.
For eighty years, Juanito was there. A monument to the kind of person who finds joy not in consuming, but in working, in creating, in the struggle.
I don’t think he ever truly felt tired. But by then, his body showed the marks of time. The Olympic torchbearer of Barcelona’s past had long since fallen behind.
Yes, Joan Bayen, the legend behind Pinotxo Bar, was once an athlete, a marathon runner!
That day, I believe Jordi was also there, Juanito’s nephew, who had run the bar alongside him for years.
Pinotxo Bar Today: A New Home, the Same Taste
Today, Pinotxo Bar continues its legacy in another historic market. Under Jordi Assín’s leadership, it still thrives inside Mercat de Sant Antoni.
Jordi and his entire family are behind the counter: his sons Dari (Diego) and Xavi (Javier), along with Maria.
The best cap i pota I’ve ever had, along with all the classic Pinotxo Bar specialties, still served with the same soul, at reasonable prices, in their new home.